Storm (Blood Haze: Book Two) A Paranormal Romance (23 page)

have met you before…”

I couldn’t finish the sentence.

“Before you met them?” he asked.

I nodded, tears threatening to spill from my

eyes. My lip quivered.

“As do I,” Alexi said. “Father never saw them,

or I would have done more to find you sooner. I

had no idea. I’m sorry.”

“No, don’t apologize,” I pleaded. “You

couldn’t have known.”

“No matter what happens today, never forget

that I love you,” he said. “I love you more than I

ever believed I could, and I
always
knew that I

loved you. Since I met you, it’s developed into

something much more than just love. It’s

indescribable.”

“I know things are complicated,” I told him.

“And I can’t see any way to fix them right now.

But I realize I
do
love you. And… I don’t want

to lose you, either. I just don’t want to keep

hurting you all.”

“I can take the pain,” Alexi said. “Maybe they

can’t, but I can. So if I have to stand in the

background and watch from afar until you’re

ready, I will.”

“I don’t want to have to ask that of you,” I

said sadly.

“I know, my love. But if it has to be this way,

then it shall.”

I kissed him again, and I tried to project every

feeling I had for him into it. I wanted him to

understand, to truly
know
how much I loved him.

I didn’t know what would happen after that

moment, but I needed him to feel my love for

him before it might be too late.

“Never forget,” I whispered. “No matter what

happens. Promise me.”

“I promise,” he said. “Even if you never

choose me, I will always remember this, and it

will keep me going until my last breath.”

“I love you, Alexi,” I told him one last time,

kissing

his

scar

again.

“And

you

are

indescribably
beautiful to me. Never forget.”

He closed his eyes and touched his forehead to

mine.

“I could never forget it, Alice,” he gushed. “In

a thousand millennia I could never forget such

sweet words uttered by such sweet lips. I will

carry it with me always.”

A tear spilled down my cheek, and he gently

brushed it away. I felt his lips press hard against

the top of my head, and he took a deep breath.

“Let’s go,” he said, squaring his jaw to

strengthen his resolve, and pulling the hood of

his cloak up to cover his face once more.

When we stepped out of the bathroom, Kai

and Max glared angrily. I hoped they couldn’t

hear our exchange, but I wouldn’t have taken it

back even if they did. It meant too much.

“Let’s do this,” I said.

“Wait,” Max said.

He walked over to me, wrapped his arms

around me, and kissed me gently. Behind him,

Kai cleared his throat. Max broke away from the

kiss and stepped back.

“I won’t apologize for kissing her,” Max said

to Kai.

“You won’t have to apologize if you don’t do

it,” Kai growled.

“Look, man,” Max snarled. “If you hadn’t run

off that time and left her freaked out and

wondering if you were even alive, maybe you

wouldn’t have to be dealing with this right now!”

“Stop!” I exclaimed.

“I was there before you, and I’ll be there long

a f t e r
you’re
gone!” Kai shouted at Max,

clenching his fists and taking one step toward

him.

“We’ll see about that, won’t we?” Max

snarled, stepping toward Kai.

“Stop, stop, stop!” I shouted, putting one hand

on each of their chests. “You can’t be doing this

now! We have stuff to deal with.”

“Fine,” Max said through clenched teeth.

Kai suddenly grabbed me and pulled me to

him, delivering a sizzling kiss that left me weak

in the knees. I gasped aloud when it was over,

and then I realized he was just trying to outdo

Max. I sighed. I looked over at Max and his

whole body was shaking with anger.

“Save it,” I told him, my eyes narrow.

Max turned around, snatched up a chair, and

shattered it against this wall. It splintered into

hundreds of pieces and rained down on the room.

Then he punched a locker so hard it buckled

inward and the hinges popped off.

“You good now?” I asked him gently.

“Yeah, I’m good,” he growled, still panting

with rage.

“Focus,” I told him, putting my hand on his

chest. “There’s a lot at stake. This stuff can

wait.”

“Right,” he said, exhaling loudly. “Right,

you’re right.”

“Let’s go,” I said, and I headed down the

tunnel.

When we got to the door, Alexi and Liam

pushed their hands onto the sensor in the wall. It

didn’t need a keypad entry to open it from the

inside. I heard the door grind open, and then I felt

a hand on my shoulder.

“We’re going first,” Alexi said, referring to

Liam and himself.

Alexi turned to Kai and Max.

“If anything happens, get her back in here and

close the door. Don’t come out until someone

comes for you. Understand?” Alexi instructed

them.

“Got it,” Kai said, and Max nodded.

Alexi left the door open so we could get back

in if there was an emergency, and I followed

along behind him. We trudged down the pitch-

black passageway and up the stairs, and Alexi

pulled a level that opened the secret door that led

into the meeting hall. The room was empty, and

our footsteps echoed through the eerie silence

like water dripping in a quiet room.

“I’ve got a bad feeling,” I said suddenly.

Alexi froze.

“What do you mean?” he said quickly.

“Something’s wrong,” I replied. “I can feel it.”

Alexi must have trusted me implicitly. I put

his hand out in front of me to keep me from

moving forward.

“Stay by the door,” he whispered.

“But…” I tried to object.

He turned to me and said imploringly,

“Please, Alice.”

I nodded, and said, “Be careful.”

Alexi and Liam stepped cautiously into the

hallway.

A moment later, I heard Alexi scream in

terror, “Father, no!”

“Get her into the bunker! Now!” Liam

shouted.

“Alexi…” I whispered, hearing the pain in his

voice.

I tried to take a step forward, but Kai and Max

grabbed my arms, pulling me back toward the

bunker.

“No!” I shouted. “Let me go!”

They continued to pull me toward the bunker

door, and I struggled to free myself. I knew

Barnabas was injured, if not killed, and I was

terrified that something might happen to Alexi.

“Please don’t make me do this,” I begged

them.

“Alice, come on!” Kai demanded. “Liam said

to…”

“I’m warning you!” I said, still struggling to

free myself from their vice-like grips.

“Please don’t do this,” Max beseeched.

“Please.”

“You’ve left me no choice,” I said. “I’m

sorry.”

I closed my eyes and remembered my training.

Alexi was in danger, and I had to get to him. I felt

a light warmth pass through my arms, and Kai

and Max both slumped to the floor.

I quickly dragged both of them through the

secret door and down the stairs, and I left them in

the passageway, leaning against the walls. I

kissed their foreheads and whispered, “I love

you.”

I rushed back up the stairs and pushed the

secret door shut, hoping to keep them hidden and

safe. Then I flew out to find Alexi and Liam.

When I entered the main foyer, I gasped aloud.

Dozens of bodies littered the floor like garbage

after a party. It was a massacre.

I scanned the room, and I saw Alexi and Liam

crouching down near the front door. Filled with

dread, I slowly approached them. When I neared

them, I saw Alexi cradling Barnabas’ upper body

in his arms, and Liam holding his father’s hand.

I put my hand on Alexi’s shoulder, and he

jumped, startled.

“Alice!” he gasped. “What are you doing?

You’re supposed to be in the bunker! Where are

Kai and Max?”

“I kinda put them to sleep,” I admitted meekly.

“You what?” he gasped. “Why would you do

that, Alice?”

“I thought you were in trouble,” I said quietly.

“You…” he breathed. “Alice, you just…”

Looking at Barnabas, I asked, “Is there

anything I can do?”

“Grace won’t work, now,” Alexi said, his

voice breaking. “It’s too late.”

“No…” I whispered, falling to my knees

beside Alexi. “Oh, Alexi, I’m so sorry.”

I put my arm around his shoulder, and I put

my other hand on Liam’s shoulder.

“How late were we?” I asked.

Alexi understood my meaning. He knew I was

worried that our time in the bathroom would

have made a difference.

“From the way it looks, it was hours ago,” he

said. “Could have even been right after we went

into the bunker.”

“What happened?” I asked.

“Wraiths,” Liam said quickly.

“How do you know?” I enquired.

Liam brushed his hand along the floor and

showed me his hand. It was covered in a thick

film of white dust that glittered faintly.

“It’s the dust that’s left behind from their

gas,” Liam explained, his face hardened from

repressed grief. “It’s harmless now.”

“They gassed the whole place?” I said weakly.

I felt sick.

“I don’t know if there are any survivors,”

Liam said.

“Shouldn’t we go look?” I asked. “I can go if

you want to stay with your father.”

“No!” Alexi snapped. “You shouldn’t even be

out here, Alice. Much less wandering around on

your own.”

“I’m going to go look,” I said. “If there are

survivors, there may be people in need of help.”

“I’ll go with her,” Liam offered.

“No, we should both go,” Alexi argued.

“There’s nothing I can do for him, anyway.”

“Alexi, if you need time to grieve, I…” I

started to say.

“I can grieve later,” he interrupted. “But I

can’t bear to grieve for you along with him.”

Alexi gently lowered his father to the floor,

and he leaned forward and kissed his forehead. I

felt a giant fissure erupt in my heart as I watched

Alexi let his father go. I knew they hadn’t been

close recently, but I believed they were many

years earlier. It was devastating for me to watch,

and I could only guess how Alexi and Liam must

have felt.

Alexi slowly got to his feet, and then he took

my hand and helped me up. I brushed the dust

away from my knees, and then I paused to touch

Alexi’s cheek.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered.

His hand wrapped around my wrist, and he

kissed my palm.

“Alright, where to first?” Alexi asked.

“We should check upstairs,” I suggested.

“There may be some new members who are

frightened and hiding.”

“Good idea,” Liam said. “You may be right.”

We searched every room, but they were all

empty. Then we searched the training classrooms,

the library, and the dining hall. No one was left

alive.

“We need to get out of here,” Alexi said to

Liam. “I have a feeling they’ll be back looking

for her.”

“You’re right,” Liam agreed. “We’ll have to

get her away from here quickly.”

“Let’s go get Kai and Max,” I said.

“Liam, go wake them,” Alexi said. “I’m going

to get her out to the car.”

Liam nodded, and ran to find Kai and Max.

Alexi ushered me out the door, but we weren’t

prepared for what we saw. The Guardian was

crushed flat and rested on its top with the wheels

dangling haphazardly in different directions.

“What are we going to do?” I whispered.

“Back inside, quickly,” he snapped, looking

around frantically.

We rushed back inside and slammed the door,

and we met Liam, Kai, and Max as they were

heading out to the car.

“Change of plans,” Alexi stated. “Car is

totaled.”

“Damn!” Liam snapped. “Helicopter?”

“That’s what I’m thinking, but it’s a long way

out there,” Alexi said.

“Right, and we’d be sitting ducks the whole

way,” Liam lamented. “There’s nothing between

here and there but the Council House, and once

we pass that, there’s nowhere to go.”

“I don’t think we have a choice,” I

commented.

“I agree,” Kai said. “We can’t stay here.”

“Definitely not,” Max added.

“It’s the best shot we’ve got, Alexi,” Liam

said.

“Alright, we’ll have to make a run for it,”

Alexi declared. “We don’t know where they are,

or if they’re coming back. For all we know, they

could be out there waiting for us right now.”

“We need a strategy,” Liam said.

“We need to form a barrier around her,” Kai

said. “Make it harder for them to get to her.”

“That won’t work” Alexi said. “They could

just put us to sleep.”

“Or gas you,” I pointed out mournfully.

“It would be difficult for their gas to be